OVARIAN cancer is under the spotlight this month to remind women in North Lincolnshire of the symptoms.

Women are urged to learn more about the telltale signs of the cancer, which include persistent pelvic or abdominal pain and difficulty eating or feeling full too quickly.

Mick Barratt, 74, of Scunthorpe, lost his wife Audrey to ovarian cancer in 2008 after a 10-year battle with the disease.

Mick said his wife suffered from consistent stomach pains but these worsened during an evening of line dancing.

He said: "We used to go line dancing many years ago and while we were dancing she got a pain in her tummy.

"Audrey went to the doctors and they sent her off for some x-rays and she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer."

Mick said he often has people contact him to ask for advice based on his wife's experience and he uses his knowledge on the cancer to informs them on where to get help.

"You have got to be aware of what's out there," he said. "I don't think many people are aware of ovarian cancer.

"I have people ring up and ask me if it's all right for them to contact the nurses."

Health professionals, along with approved voluntary supporters, will be manning an awareness stand at Grimsby's Freshney Place shopping centre from 9am to 5.30pm on Saturday, March 20.

An average of 10 women die from ovarian cancer every year in North Lincolnshire.

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